Housing Programs & Benefits

The Department of Housing main mission is to provide low income families with affordable housing so that they may have the money for life's necessitates, savings, and unexpected expenses. Families that pay more than 30-50% of their income for housing & living expenses may qualify for housing programs.

Section 8 Homes and Apartments Listings

Section 8 Housing Properties in Woodbridge, NJ

Search for section 8 housing in your city. These property managers receive funds directly from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) so they can offer lower rent in competitive urban communities. Low rent housing and apartments are available to seniors, people with disabilities, and families that meet the minimum income qualification for that housing market.

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HUD Local Housing Authorities Office Listings

The Housing Authorities manage the housing programs that are governed by the Department of HUD’s rules and regulations. These offices control the Section 8 Vouchers and Low Income Housing properties for their city or county, and also keep track of the housing vouchers waiting list.
Most Housing Authorities also manage other low income family programs, like after school camps, daycare assistance, and other benefits that your city may have available.

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Applying to Section 8 Rental Assistance Program

What is Section 8?

Section 8, also known as Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) Program is the rental assistance program designed by the Federal Government for Americans who are poor, disabled or elderly who wish to reside in privately owned housing. Eligible families can get rental assistance through this program for single-family homes, townhouses and apartments that are located anywhere in the country and is not limited to houses that come under subsidized housing projects.

Who administers the Section 8 Housing Program

Locally, this program is administered by municipal public housing agencies (PHA) in every major market that certifies the eligibility of the tenants and landlords taking part in this program. The PHAs are funded by the federal government via U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the voucher program. They also make sure that the housing units adhere to the HUD quality standards.

The maximum rental assistance provided by the PHA is usually the difference between the lesser of the payment standard and 30% of the family's monthly adjusted income or the difference between the gross rent for the unit and 30% of monthly adjusted income.

How does Section 8 Housing Program Work?

Local municipal public housing authorities (PHA) pays the difference between 30 percent of family’s income and the PHA-determined payment standard – that is around 80 to 100 percent of the fair market rent (FMR) to the land lord. But the rent demanded by the landlord must be reasonable in order to take part in this rental assistance program.

If the home that the tenants selected is higher rent than the FMR, the tenants would have to pay the difference themselves, whereas if the rent is lesser the FMR, then they can keep the difference.

If a family is found to be eligible for this program, they are issued the voucher by the PHA, and then it’s the family’s responsibility to find a suitable rented home.

The maximum allowable amount of housing assistance for every voucher recipient is calculated by the PHA. The size of the rented home that the voucher holder can choose is based on their family size and composition.

For the PHA to approve the housing unit under the rental assistance program the residence chosen by the family must adhere to the minimum mandatory standards for health and safety.

The PHA must first examine the residence and determine that the requested monthly rental rate is affordable after the voucher holder or the tenant comes to an agreement with the landlord over the lease terms for the house that they like to rent.

Payment standards are decided by the PHAs on the basis of the amount that is usually required to rent a reasonably priced house in the local housing market.

The families holding the vouchers are required to pay 30% of their monthly adjusted gross income towards rent and utilities. But they must pay the additional amount if rent is more than the payment standard for the local market.

If the voucher holding family has moved to a new house with a rent more than the standard payment, they need not pay more than 40 percent of their adjusted monthly income for rent.

The Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance program is designed in such a way that it gets adapted to changes in a family such as the family size, job locations and other parameters so that a family holding the voucher won’t lose the rental assistance as their needs keep changing. But the family must inform the change to the PHA well in advance, then discontinue the ongoing lease and find a new place to stay.

A family who has been issued a voucher under this program can choose to rent a house anywhere in United States provided they were staying in the jurisdiction of the voucher issuing PHA when they had applied for the rental assistance.

Determine Tenant Eligibility to Section 8 Program

Who is eligible for the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program?

The local PHA who administers the rental assistance program determines the eligibility for a housing voucher under the Section 8 program. The eligibility of a tenant for this program is determined on the basis of the total annual gross income and family size, and it is restricted to US citizens and definite categories of non-citizens who possess eligible immigration status.

Household Size

Average Income Level (Per Year)

1

$14,521

2

$19,669

3

$24,817

4

$29,965

5

$35,113

6

$40,261

7

$45,409

8

$50,557

For households with more than eight people, add $5,148 per additional person.

In order to qualify for this program, the household’s income may not surpass 50 percent of the median income for the county or metropolitan area where the family wishes to reside.

Legally, PHA must provide 75 percent of the vouchers to households whose incomes are below 30 percent of the median income for the area, as stipulated by HUD and it can differ by location.

If the PHA is convinced that a family is eligible for availing the rental assistance program, they are included to a waiting list. But the wait-time and size of the waiting list are determined by the local market conditions.

It is purely the PHAs discretion to select the applicants from the waiting list for the rental assistance program and they also reserve the right to close the list if they have more applicants than they can cater to at that period.

PHA calculates the housing assistance amount a family will receive based on the local market rental rate, but this rental rate does not limit the amount of rent that the landlord may charge or the family decides to pay.

Obligations of the Tenant when Accepted to Section 8 Program

After choosing a house that’s approved by PHA under the rental assistance program, the family signs a one year lease with the landlord. And they may also need to do the following,

Pay a security deposit for the apartment or home selected.

Sign a new lease agreement with the landlord after one year

Comply with the requirements of the rental assistance program and the lease